Monday Meet and Greet

Name: Etsy shop URL: http://www.etsy.com/shop/secondarycreations ; first name, Trudy

Where you live/grew up: I grew up in central Iowa but have lived in Omaha, Nebraska for years. I have five brothers and sisters scattered over the western half of the U.S. I cater to an 11-year-old cat who adopted me a few years ago; she’s just been diagnosed as diabetic, so she takes a lot of attention. My “day job” is in a medical school, mostly working on manuscripts and grants.

How did you get started making rosaries? I was looking for a craft I could do that didn’t use the computer. I’d never tried making rosaries because I knew I’d be no good at making them the “old fashioned” way. Saw a site online that sold rosary kits and gave instructions on making rosaries with beading wire. Bought a kit and have just gone from there.

How has your faith played a role in your rosary making? I’m sure I wouldn’t be making rosaries if I weren’t Catholic or Franciscan Crowns if I weren’t Franciscan. Other than that, I find rosary making to be something I can do while staying recollected – it’s a quiet process physically and (usually) mentally.

What is your relationship to the Blessed Mother? Has it always been this way? I relate to Mary as an older, wiser friend. I’ve also come to respect the central role she holds in the mystery of the Incarnation.

Where do you see your rosary business going? The main purpose has been trying to get a few income streams started before retirement. That’s still nine years away, so I’m not in a hurry for it to become “big”. A good thing, as with a fulltime job I don’t have time for the promotion it would take to make a lot of sales. I’d like to do some selling locally as well as online.

Are there any new things you'd like to make? I’m still working on my birthstone collection, which is a challenge when trying to make a rosary that uses precious stones without breaking the bank. My peridot project turned out to be a lot more work than I expected, so I probably won’t have it done for August this year. Besides that collection, I feel like I’ve kind of been getting into a rut lately and need to look at doing some more dramatic pieces.

Share a special rosary story of one that you sold/gave away: It’s not really a story, but I feel the most human connections with those who buy the St. Gerard chaplets. There’s always a specific reason they’re buying one, and it’s usually something that draws me to pray for them.

Give one reason why someone should buy your handmade rosary over a rosary purchased in a store: Because my “Rosaries with Personality” are unlike any you’ll find in a store.

Trudy also ask for me to add this link to her meet and greet http://secondarycreations.blogspot.com/2010/08/im-filling-out-questionnaire-this.html

This is the blog post on the subject of rosary making and her faith.